Japan world cup and Rovers

[the vicar]

Is Japan out second favourite team in the rugby World Cup wirg there strip being a mixture of our Last 2 home shirts

[Axholme Lion]

I like the Japanese.

[Metalmicky]

No

[IDM]

I think rugby is far less divisive than football. Yes, being English i always want England to do well.  However, if they lose to a team who plays better, there seems to be more respect in rugby to acknowledge the opposition.

I would be happy for one or two of the smaller teams to do well, and sporting wise, I would prefer France to fail - however if France proves to be the best side, so be it.

No specific second team for me.

[RoversAlias]

Their underdog story at the last World Cup was great. Didn't England give Eddie Jones the coaching job off the back of it?

[silent majority]

The big difference, for me anyway, is that the better team generally wins in Rugby, unlike football where the result can't always be guaranteed.

[Metalmicky]

The big difference, for me anyway, is that the better team generally wins in Rugby, unlike football where the result can't always be guaranteed.

I would suggest the result can't be guaranteed in either sport - even today Uruguay caused an upset by beating the Fiji and Fiji themselves have beaten France and Scotland and Wales in recent years....

My favourite shock was when Western Samoa beat Wales 16:13 back in the 90's.... I remember taking the piss out of my Welsh mate, by telling him that Wales were lucky to just be playing the West of Samoa rather than the whole of Samoa......  ...... then in 1999 Samoa beat Wales again 31:28 and I got the chance to rib him again...

[IDM]

No but didn’t Uruguay deserve their victory as a consequence of the performance today, irrespective of what was expected before.?

[Metalmicky]

No but didn’t Uruguay deserve their victory as a consequence of the performance today, irrespective of what was expected before.?

Yep I think they lifted there game and a combination of that and a poor performance by Fiji meant they came out justifiable winners.

[silent majority]

Yes but I did say the better team generally wins, i.e. the one who plays better on the day. It's not about form or position of the world order. Football, so long as you can employ tactics of a sort, anyone can win.